The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may or may not constitute prior art.
Torque converters are well known in the art and generally include three rotating elements: a pump, a turbine, and a stator. The pump is mechanically driven by a prime mover, such as an internal combustion engine or electric motor. The turbine is mechanically coupled to an output shaft and is driven by fluid flow pumped by rotation of the pump. The stator is interposed between the pump and turbine and alters fluid flow returning from the turbine to the pump in order to multiply torque. In a dual clutch torque converter, a pair of clutches are used to selectively mechanically connect the different components of the torque converter. The pair of clutches typically include a lock-up clutch and a pump clutch. The lock-up clutch is operable to directly mechanically couple the pump of the torque converter to the turbine of the torque converter. The pump clutch is operable to mechanically couple and decouple the engine output with the pump of the torque converter.
The addition of multiple clutches allows the dual clutch torque converter to operate in various states. However, independently controlling two separate clutches requires extensive valve and solenoid hydraulic controls. The addition of these valves and solenoids increases the cost and weight of the hydraulic control system of the transmission. Accordingly, there is room in the art for a system for controlling a dual clutch torque converter that allows for independent control of the dual clutches and which minimizes the use of valves and solenoids.